Developers just got their most recent look at adoption metrics
Android keeps getting better with each major release. Android 12 brought us Material You theming, and later Android 13 improved on that with an API for themed home screen icons. Sadly, manufacturers can’t always keep up with Google’s release timetables, and Android's notorious fragmentation leads to many budget phones being stuck on older versions while flagships like the Pixel series and Galaxy S lineup push ahead with timely updates. In line with this, Google has published new Android distribution numbers that show the latest OS version with a paltry early market share.
Google's newest platform distribution stats in Android Studio show that 5.2% of devices are now running Android 13 (via 9to5Google). This puts Google’s latest OS release sixth in overall share, behind the five previous editions dating back to and including Android 8.0 Oreo.
As we’ve seen in the past, the second-newest Android version has been enjoying significant adoption, with numbers really taking off just over a year after its official release in October 2021. Overall, 18.9% of devices are currently running Android 12 — an impressive 40% increase from the 13.5% seen in August 2022, when Google last shared such data. These numbers likely include devices running the tablet-specific version, Android 12L, as Google didn’t make a specific mention of this OS variant.
Meanwhile, a healthy 24.4% of all machines are on Android 11, and 19.5% are on Android 10. Combined with Android 13’s 5.2% share and Android 12’s 18.9%, this accounts for 68% of all devices Google is tracking — but as Esper’s Mishaal Rahman notes, this means around 32% of Android hardware is currently running versions of the operating system that no longer receive updates through Google’s security backports initiative. That should be viewed as a dangerously large number in a world rife with cybersecurity threats, especially considering that devices running Android 10 are probably on their last officially provided security update now.
Whatever the case may be, it is always best practice to run the latest software and security updates available for your device. If your carrier is holding you back from an update like T-Mobile is currently doing with Pixel phones, don’t forget that you can often manually flash an update to get onto the latest version.
Chandraveer is a mechanical design engineer with a passion for all things Android including devices, launchers, theming, apps, and photography. When he isn’t typing away on his mechanical keyboard’s heavy linear switches, he enjoys discovering new music, improving his keyboard, and rowing through his hatchback’s gears on twisty roads.
